How to pay the electronic tolls (ex SCUTS)

SCUTS (without costs for the users) were highways with virtual tolls that the Portuguese State supported.

Map of the Portuguese highways

The SCUT system was introduced in 1997 and eliminated in 2011. Since then, those who use these highways have to pay via electronic toll.

1. If you’re going to Portugal in a vehicle with a foreign license plate, you have four options to pay the electronic tolls:

Option 1

Toll for vehicles with foreign license plate at 11 km

EASYtoll is a system that associates the license plate to the credit card (Visa or Mastercard).

Easytoll for foreign vehicles

The toll rates will be directly debited from the bank account associated to the card. The association of the credit card to the license plate is valid for 30 days. You may cancel your subscription at any time in portugaltolls.com or by telephone, through the Call Center nº 707 500 501 (if in Portugal) or 00 351 212879555 (from abroad).

When you get to an EASYtoll terminal, you’ll just have to insert your credit card. You will receive a receipt that you should keep until the toll rates are debited from your bank account. From then on you may use the highways with electronic tolls without any problems. To subscribe EASYtoll you have to go through one of these four country entries with this logotype

By subscribing EASYtoll service you will pay 0.74€ and each journey has an administrative cost of 0.32€.

Example: You arrive in Portugal today and use the highway with electronic tolls to Porto, you will pay 0.74€ plus 0.32€ aside from toll rates. Tomorrow you’ll use the highway from Porto to Viana do Castelo so you’ll pay 0.32€ plus toll rates. At night, on your way back, you’ll still have to pay the toll rates plus the 0.32€.

Option 2Option 3Option 4

Option 2

Prepaid Toll Card

Toll card is a prepaid card (5, 10, 20 or 40€) that you can purchase in CTT stores (Portuguese post-offices), service areas or at tollcard.pt. The activation and association of the credit card to the license plate is made via SMS. You may activate several cards at the same time and accumulate balance of each card. To know your balance you have to go to the website tollcard.pt or await for an SMS that lets you know your balance ran out.

01/09/2014 Update

By purchasing a prepaid card you will pay an additional 0.74€ for administrative services and for each journey you will pay more 0.32€ aside from the toll rates.

Example: You arrive in Portugal today and use the highway with electronic tolls to Porto, you will pay 0.74€ plus 0.32€ aside from the toll rates. Tomorrow, if you use the highway from Porto to Viana do Castelo, you will pay 0.32€ plus toll rates. At night, on your way back, you’ll still have to pay the toll rates plus the 0.32€.

If you buy the card on the internet, you won’t get a virtual card so you will have to save the receipt in your computer. On the right side of the receipt you will find the prepaid number allowing you to access the site to know your balance.

Option 3

Toll service is a prepaid ticket valid for 3 days and with a fixed cost of 20€. The ticket may be purchased in the EASYtoll points, in Portuguese hotels and in portugaltolls.com. The association of the ticket with the license plate is made at the moment of the purchase.

Option 4

Via Verde Logo

Via Verde is a device to put in the windshield that is valid in all Portuguese highways and electronic tolls, allowing to pay the tolls without stopping. The rental of the device VVV (Via Verde Visitors) costs 6€ in the first week and 1,50€ in the following weeks. When you rent VVV you will have to leave a refundable deposit of 27,50€. You can use the device for 3 months. To purchase Via Verde, you will have to go to a CTT store or a Via Verde store (viaverde.pt). Everytime you go through a toll, the toll rate will be debited from your bank account.

In my opinion, option Nº 1 is the best because it is the simplest. If you don’t enter Portugal through the 4 entries with Easytoll, then pick option Nº 2.

01/09/2014 update

Know that you have until 23:59 of the same day you used electronic tolls to subscribe EASYtoll service or to purchase a prepaid Tollcard.

04/09/2014 important update

If you haven’t purchased the prepaid Tollcard or subscribed the EASYtoll system until the end of the day of your first use of a toll, call the company responsible for the highway to explain the situation and offer to pay. I got to know someone in this same situation. The company agreed that the person could pay the toll plus 2,21€ administrative costs (fine) for each toll he used. At the end, he paid 28€ including a 15€ fine.

2. If you’re coming to Portugal by plane and want to rent a car, you have two options to pay the electronic tolls:

Option 1Option 2

Option 1

Via Verde Logo

When you rent a car, ask the store a ViaVerde device that will allow you to pay the tolls when you return the vehicle. The upside of this device is that it is valid for all the Portuguese highways. The downside, however, is that you have to pay 1,50€ per day (to a maximum of 18,50€ per rental).

Option 2

CTT Logo

Going to a CTT store, a post office or a Payshop agent and giving your license plate number, you will know how much you have to pay.

Do not forget to pay during the 5 business days after you use a toll.

Solution nº 1 is the simplest but a bit more expensive than solution nº 2

3. If you’re living in Portugal and have a vehicle with a Portuguese license plate, you have several options to pay the electronic tolls:

Option 1Option 2

Option 1

Via Verde Logo

Buying a Via Verde device costs 27,50 and allows the toll rate to be debited from your bank account whenever you pass through a toll. The upside of this device is that it is valid in all the Portuguese highways.

Option 2

CTT Logo

In a CTT store, post office or Payshop, giving your license plate number. CTT also give you the possibility to pay in the Multibanco network (ATM terminals) or Homebanking; to do so you need to ask for a MB Reference. It can be on-line, on the CTT site, or sending an SMS to the number 68881 with the text «CTTMBspaceLicensePlatespaceTIN» (for eg.: «CTTMB AA-00-00 123456789»). SMS cost is 0,30€ + VAT.

You may subscribe a prepaid contract by purchasing a Prepaid Via Verde or a Prepaid Anonymous that you can get in the CTT stores. Prepaid Via Verde is valid for all the highways and the Prepaid Anonymous is only valid for the highways with electronic tolls.

Do not forget to pay during the 5 business days after you use a toll.

If you live in Portugal and often use the highways then I would advise you to buy a Via Verde device.

This sign

means that you are entering a highway with electronic tolls.

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About Tiago

Tiago, 27 years old, Parisian since 12, I decided to go on an adventure and make my dream come true: get to know our country from one end to the other. I believe that if we don’t know our origins we don’t truly know ourselves. Read more here